[StBernard] Violet man gets 80 years for killing 2 men outside bar

[Westley Annis]

Violet man gets 80 years for killing 2 men outside bar

wwltv.com

Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:22 PM

Updated today at 8:27 PM

CHALMETTE, La. - A Violet man has been sentence to 80 years in prison on
charges that he shot and killed two men outside of a St. Bernard parish bar
in 2008.

Anthony Hookfin, Jr., 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter for
the killings of Michael Whitehead, 51, and David H. Ward, 41.

Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said Hookfin shot the two men after
being challenged over him being too young to be inside the Barracuda's on
East St. Bernard Highway on December 4, 2008. Pohlmann said both men were
regulars at the bar.

Pohlmann said Hookfin confessed to the crime after his arrest. He said he
was being challenged by one of the victims for being too young and was
forced to leave. Hookfin said he came back later with a gun, and when told
he couldn't say, he told the men he had his identification outside. After
the victims followed him outside, Hookfin shot and killed them.

Hookfin was originally booked with two counts of first-degree murder, but he
pleaded guilty to the lesser plea of manslaughter after a jury pool was
called for his trial. State District Judge Kirk Vaughn sentenced him to two
40-year counts to be served consecutively, minus credit for time already
served.

Hookfin was 18 at the time of the shootings.